MORE TO COME FROM MOUSSA
England’s elite missed a trick with Celts star, insists Sutton
CHRIS SUTTON grins at the idea. He imagines that every time Moussa Dembele scores for Celtic, a little tremor of anger runs through certain boardrooms in the English Premier League. For all the head-turning money at their disposal, for all the resources they possess, no club south of the border emerged as a serious rival for Dembele’s signature during the summer.
Sutton believes that will have had consequences. Those who write the cheques will be looking at Dembele’s form at Parkhead and asking a forceful question of their scouting staff. How on earth did we let him end up in Scotland?
Their loss has, of course, been Celtic’s bountiful gain. For £500,000 in compensation to Fulham, they have acquired an asset whose value is rising at an exponential rate. Two goals against Manchester City last month left the fee, albeit for a player out of contract, looking like a truly extraordinary bargain.
Dembele approaches his return to Champions League action against Borussia Monchengladbach with a seasonal tally already standing at 13.
And Sutton is aware the eyes upon the France Under-21 international will extend well beyond a sell-out crowd.
‘Down south, he is the most talked about player at the moment,’ said the ex-Celtic striker, who will cover tomorrow evening’s game for BT Sport.
‘Whether we like it or not, there is going to be interest in him. Celtic will be doing their utmost to hang onto him. You are talking about such a short space of time he has been at the club.
‘He has all the attributes. I still think he is a little bit raw around the edges and I think he’d admit that himself. But he can move in behind, he can hold the ball up, he is a physical presence, his link-up play is decent.
‘Dembele is essentially potential at the moment. So heaven help centre-halves when he has matured a bit.
‘For £500,000? That is just an unbelievable signing. As we speak, there are probably recruitment people down south getting their backsides kicked and being asked: “Why didn’t we take a chance on him?”
‘Because his stock has risen so far in such a short space of time. And I think he is only going to get better.’
Dembele wasn’t exactly an unknown at Fulham. Tottenham made a move in January, only for the deal to collapse over the details of the transfer. Undeterred by that disappointment, he ended last season with 17 goals while still a teenager.
Far scanter records than that have been the signal for bank accounts to be emptied on a signing. So why didn’t another English club stump up for Dembele when he left Craven Cottage?
‘That is a really good question,’ admitted Sutton. ‘He did well in the Championship last season. His partnership with (Ross) McCormack essentially kept up a really poor Fulham.
‘Sides in the Premier League want the finished article for a striker. But people are now looking at Dembele and seeing he is a real handful. As I said, there will be chairmen down south asking why their club missed him.’
None of that matters to Celtic. Well, not in any negative way. They can continue to nurture Dembele knowing a queue of wealthy suitors is developing for whenever he flies the nest.
More important in the here and now are Dembele’s European performances. It was often said that Celtic would have to spend a fantasy sum, with matching wages, to acquire a bona fide Champions League striker. But do they now have one for a quarter of the cost of a Mo Bangura?
‘Has Dembele proven himself over a number of games at the highest level? No,’ considered Sutton.
‘But I think we have all seen enough of him and his attributes to be shocked if he was to go backwards. This isn’t a player who is going to fall away, in my opinion.
‘I just think he will get better and better. When you actually look at him, who would want to play against him? It’s like playing against (Didier) Drogba.
‘At least when people played against me, they could think: “Oh well, he can’t run.” With Dembele, he can take it in, go in behind and link the play.
‘When the ball goes out wide at times, I think he can get himself more in between the goalposts like a (Henrik) Larsson-type. These are small things he can improve on.
‘But in terms of actual physical attributes and the way he plays the game, this guy is going places.’
Sutton feels the same can be said of Brendan Rodgers’ side as a whole. An outspoken critic of Ronny Deila, the 43-year-old has been wowed by the transformation witnessed this season.
The threat from Borussia isn’t underestimated. Sutton believes only a peak performance will be enough to leave Celtic as favourites to continue in continental football after Christmas.
That means repeating the exceptional energy levels witnessed in the 3-3 draw with City.
‘People are turning up at Celtic games knowing they will be entertained,’ added Sutton.
‘That’s down to the recruitment. People want to watch a (Scott) Sinclair, a Dembele, or a (Kolo) Toure in the defensive area.
‘It’s brilliant for Scottish football and that one result against City transformed the way in which people I know think about Scottish football.
‘It was an eye opener and that can only be a good thing.
‘Celtic and the other Scottish clubs don’t have the benefit of the cash.
‘I was at Middlesbrough against Watford on Sunday and if that was a Scottish game, it would have been absolutely panned. It was utter garbage and they have all this money to spend.
‘Talk about punching above your weight. Celtic have done that. For all the negative stuff, when things are good, we should come out and say we are proud of a team for performing that way. When the game is on the up, we should be pleased with that.’
BT Sport is your home of unmissable live football from the UEFA Champions League, SPFL and Betfred Cup. Watch Celtic v Borussia Monchengladbach in the UEFA Champions League exclusively live on BT Sport ESPN this Wednesday from 7pm.
Whether we like it or not, there is going to be interest in Dembele